Flier Prompts Women's Caucus;
New Benchmarks for Texas Grants;
Alamo Oversight;
Legal "Drug" Stays Legal;
Fiscally Speaking;
Ignore the Alternative Providers, Save the Nurses;
It is Finished, Well at Least "Over"; 
Memorial Day Memorial;
Windstorm Insurance Goes up in Hot Air;
KEY ISSUES FROM THIS LEGISLATURE.

As this legislative session draws to a close here are highlights from the past week.

The "Heimlich poster bill" in the Texas Legislature underscores a long-simmering if little-known controversy over the best way to treat choking victims.

The American Red Cross no longer recommends abdominal thrusts as the best way to treat choking victims. The agency's first-aid classes now recommend five thumps on the back, between the shoulder blades, before attempting the Heimlich maneuver.  There is no evidence that the Heimlich maneuver helps better than giving a choking victim a severe slap on the back a couple of times.

Today, the Red Cross advocates an escalating approach known as "five and five" to dislodge foreign objects from the throat:  1) Leaning the person forward, deliver five firm blows between the shoulder blades using the heel of your hand.  2) If the obstruction persists, give five abdominal thrusts. While standing behind the person, wrap your arms around and position a fist under the rib cage but above the navel. Press into the abdomen with a quick upward thrust as if trying to lift the person. 3) Alternate between five blows and five abdominal thrusts until the blockage is removed.

"The Heimlich Institute ... called the new Red Cross protocol misguided."

With less than a week to go in this legislative session, here are highlights from last week:

FTC criticizes Senate health bill;
Governor signs TYC merger bill;
Antifreeze safety bill heads to House vote;
House, Senate inch toward budget deal;

Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill that will allow critical-access hospitals, sole community hospitals and hospitals in counties of 50,000 or fewer people to employ physicians.

There are fewer than three weeks left in this legislative session. Here is some of the news from this past week:
Parliamentary Procedures;Prison Health;Increasing fees;Sonogram Bill Sent to Governor;Youth Agencies to Merge;"Rape Kit" Analysis Bill Approved;Redistricting Map Sent to Governor;Budget;Tobacco Tax Turmoil;Veterans Tax;Dogs Who Kill;Bullies;House Bills Backlog;Remember the Alamo;Stress and Tension;Looser Pays;Dam it, or Not;HB 400 Still No Go;Democrat Announces for Hutchison Senate Seat;Sanctuary Cities; BILL WOULD LET MEDICAL DOCTORS DISPENSE DRUGS;Bill Limits Power to Seize Private Land;Bill OK's Slots, but not Casinos;Patient Privacy Protections;WHEN SHOULD THE STATE LET YOUR DOCTOR KILL YOU?Medicaid Waiver Plan Advances;House OK's New Well Fluid Rules;INSURANCE--No major reforms this session;Hello Helicopter Hog Hunting;Senate Approves Campus Carry.

With just about one month left in this legislative session here are some of the highlights from the capitol this past week:

Budget Facts;
$10,000 Degree Program;
Guns in Texas;
State Budget;
Taxes;
Border Security;
Railroad Commission's name safe;
Gambling;
School mandate vote delayed;
Anti-bullying bill passes Senate;
No sugary drinks during school?;
Bill altering forensic panel stalls;
Senate: We want Congress' help;
Free Credit Security Service;
Budget Battles;
Puppy Mill Bill;
Taxing Internet Sales;
Lyme Disease and the TMB.

Week 15 in the Texas Legislature saw the following news:

Credit Monitoring After Comptroller's Office Leak;
It's RAINING!;
Prove It;
The Lean and Fat of it All;
75 mph;
State Workers are Revolting.

This week at the capitol saw the passage of Senate Bill 1001 through the Senate.  This bill will allow for FAIR WORK and FAIR COVERAGE for chiropractic.

Other news includes: 

Dangerous Drugs;
"Sexting" Bill Gets Senate OK;
Limits to Teacher Cuts Recommended;
Redistricting news;
Taxing Amazon;
Presidential Visit to Austin;
Use it or Loose it for Race Track Licensing;
A License to Breed;
Prison Officials to Pay;
BE a "Good Neighbor";
Human Trafficking Bill;
Gunslinging Legislators?;
Texas Prison Health